Joshua Montemayor is a second year MBA student at the University of Dallas and currently works as an inventory manager at the startup Blue Apron, a food subscription delivery service.
We sat down with Joshua to ask about the ROI he has earned from being a student at the University of Dallas.
Why an MBA, what motivated you to come back to school for a graduate business degree?
I believe that you can never be done learning. Especially in this tough job market, any edge that will set you apart from the pack is well worth investing in.
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This environment motivates you to perform at your highest level.
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Joshua Montemayor, MBA Student
Tell me about the MBA program at UD, what has your experience been?
Here at UD, the small class sizes allow you to to develop genuine relationships with your professors and classmates. This community is unique because the professors and staff actively work with you to ensure that you meet your goals. This environment motivates you to perform at your highest level so you really get the most out of the graduate business program.
What have you found most enriching about the MBA program at UD?
What I have really enjoyed is the opportunity to learn from people in a wide range of circumstances. Here at UD, we've got every type of student - husbands and wives, mothers and fathers working full time and attending school two nights a week, managers with well over 30 years of management experience and everyone in-between. Their professional mistakes and successes put my own life into perspective, allowing me to grow and learn from them.
What do you think makes UD different?
When you have professors such as Dr. Dale Fodness with decades of experience consulting for Microsoft Corporation or Dr. Rosemary Maellaro who's four decades of managing human resources departments for companies such as 7-Eleven and Black-eyed Pea Restaurants, you appreciate what they have to say. As a student you crave real-life, relevant anecdotes to enrich the content you're learning.
How have you used what you have learned at UD in your current career?
How I manage my team has definitely evolved. I find myself having more patience and looking for ways to be more direct. As a result of the MBA program, confidence in the decisions I make and the direction I provide has skyrocketed.
Tell me about a time a faculty member made an impact on you, whether it is personally or professionally.
I took a course with Jerome Pfeiffer, financial controller at STMicroelectronics, one of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturers. Despite his demanding career, he was dedicated to his students. There were countless evenings throughout my MBA experience when I definitely did not feel like sitting in a classroom. But knowing that this professor was in the same boat as me - working full time, rushing to the classroom at night - fortified my commitment to my goals.
Why did you decide to come to UD for your graduate studies? Why not a different school?
I wanted a school with a strong ethical foundation. I also didn't want my degree to feel like just another piece of paper or another credential. I wanted to push myself to new heights, I wanted to learn from the best and experience all the intricacies of the business world.